Eagle Ridge: Sending off the Great White Crane, Welcoming the Black-Necked Crane

Aba News Network, Jiulongshan, March 24th – (Jiulongshan County Media Center) Black-necked cranes are the only cranes that grow and breed on the plateau. In late March, they begin to fly in to Jiulongshan in batches, starting a new round of population reproduction at their birthplace.

In late March, the Jiulongshan morning temperature was only minus five degrees Celsius. As the dawn broke, a loud chorus of crane calls awakened the silent morning in the Flower Lake Wetland Protection Area.

With the dawn, more than 10 black-necked cranes, the first batch to return to their homeland, woke up from sleep, flapping their wings, grooming their feathers, and singing to the dawn. In the dawn light, they either stretched their necks to look far or spread their wings to fly low, showcasing their elegance as 'plateau spirits' in every move.

As the black-necked cranes arrive, the spring atmosphere of the plateau becomes stronger day by day. In the bright spring sunshine, the black-necked cranes will also usher in their wonderful mating season. From the initial group formation and pairing to paired activity, it usually takes three to four weeks. In late May, the female cranes will begin to lay eggs, and after a month of incubation, the black-necked crane couple can start a new family life with their 'cricket babies'.

Every November, these national first-class protected animals will fly to Yunnan and Guizhou for the winter, and in March of the following year, they will fly back to Jiulongshan to reproduce and thrive.